


insomniacs

by itsmespooky



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Brotherly Dynamics, Fluff, Gen, Highschool AU, Insomnia, Underage Drinking, just the boys being homies yk, just wibler and schlagg being buds, mentioned alcoholism, mentions of car wrecks, nothing bad tho, sleepy boys are kinda background, they are just friends i will personally hunt you down if you ship them in the context of this fic, they're teenagers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:22:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27890701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmespooky/pseuds/itsmespooky
Summary: Wilbur watched the clock tick, tick, tick away the seconds until the minute hand flicked and both hands pointed straight up at his ceiling, which he had grown bored of staring at a few hours back. He didn't have very many friends; he didn't need very many friends. Who needed more than one when your one was the best?
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Jschlatt & Wilbur Soot, No Romantic Relationship(s), all platonic here - Relationship
Kudos: 47





	1. the beginning

**Author's Note:**

> DISCLAIMER: Despite any resemblance and similarities, none of the characters actually depicted are real. It’s all text on a screen, so please don’t mistake fiction for reality. The characters and events in this fic are entirely fictional and not rooted in reality. All characters are giant radioactive Isopods. All characters are 70 years old and retired. All characters are characters.
> 
> This one is a bit short because it's supposed to serve as a "prologue." Future chapters will be longer. Enjoy! :)

They were both okay kids; one coming straight out of the foster system and into a home that was all but normal and the other raised in a different country emtirely only to be ripped away from his normal by his alcoholic mother to move in with his new, foreign step father who really was just trying his best. So yeah, they were okay kids, they had never had the need to be anything more than average- well, maybe Wilbur did a few times; the system was hard on average kids, so, before he had found a home where he was actually accepted and comfortable, he did feel the need to apply himself a bit more than required just to catch an eye or two.

They were teenagers when they spoke for the first time, a text sent from Schlatt's phone to Will's.  
  
  
  
_02:47_

(***)***-**69: Hey number neighbor, how does 2 am find you?  
  
  
  
Wilbur was confused at first, wondering what a number neighbor was exactly and why his self proclaimed one was texting him at nearly three in the morning. After a short Google search he had his answer and pulled up the message again to text back.  
  
  
  
Wilbur: very very awake  
Wilbur: what's got you awake at a time like this?  
Wilbur: if you don't mind me asking, sorry  
  
  
  
Wilbur was nervous at first. He had never really had anyone to text but Techno and Phil. Nobody else talked to him; they thought he was weird and made fun of him for being a " _fake child_ ," or whatever that was supposed to mean. He always rebutted by scoffing and saying that his dad had chosen him and that theirs just got stuck. He perked up a bit when the number texted him back.  
  
  
  
(***)***-**69: Haha it's fine  
(***)***-**69: And that would be the fault of good 'ol insomnia  
(***)***-**69: And I wasn't really expecting a reply, why are _you_ awake?  
  
  
  
A small smile crossed his face as he typed back.  
  
  
  
Wilbur: same  
Wilbur: it's tough yk  
  
  
  
It was about ten minutes before there was a reply, the notification sliding down from the top of Wilbur's phone screen as he scrolled mindlessly through Twitter.  
  
  
  
(***)***-**69: Ha, guess it was meant to be, eh?  
(***)***-**69: I'm Jay by the way, everyone just calls me Schlatt though  
  
  
  
Wilbur's smile grew as he opened the info screen.  
  
  
  
_Block Caller_  
_Add to Existing Contact_  
_Create New Contact  
  
  
  
_He clicked the third of the three options, adding in Schlatt's names and the date in the notes section.  
  
  
  
Schlatt: I never caught your name  
  
  
  
Wilbur chuckled softly. He'd never gotten a chance to use the cliche line, but what better time than the present, right?  
  
  
  
Wilbur: well, i never threw it  
Wilbur: but it's wilbur  
  
  
  
He watched as the little dots danced across the small bubble where Schlatt was typing.  
  
  
  
Schlatt: Nice, so  
Schlatt: How old are you? Just so I'm not doing anything illegal yk  
  
  
  
Wilbur shot back a quick response.  
  
  
  
Wilbur: 14  
Wilbur: almost 15, my birthday is in september  
  
  
  
Schlatt: Oh dude same  
Schlatt: Thank god you're not some creepy pedo  
Schlatt: What day in September?  
  
  
  
Wibur: the 14th  
  
  
  
Schlatt: Oh cool, mine's the 10th  
  
  
  
Wilbur: birthday buddies _and_ number neighbors  
  
  
  
Schlatt: Yeah  
Schlatt: You're cool, we should be friends  
  
  
  
Wilbur: i think that'd be very cool  
  
  
  
And the rest was history.


	2. when a friend shows up, don't turn him away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they are literally just chilling on a roof i don't know that else to say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> word count went from 540-something to 1600 even and i honest to god wasn't even tracking word count

It was late when Schlatt's phone _bzzzzt_ -ed, the light from his phonescreen illuminating the white popcorn ceiling he had been staring at for, hell, he didn't even know how long. 

He rolled over in his bed, throwing out his arm and blindly reaching for his phone.  
  
  
  
 _1 Text Message from Partner in Crime (Wilbur)  
  
  
  
_ He unlocked it and opened the text.  
  
  
  
Wilbur: you up?  
  
  
  
Schlatt rolled his eyes, typing up a quick reply.  
  
  
  
Schlatt: I always am  
  
  
  
There was a moment of silence as Schlatt waited for another text or maybe a call. He startled when, instead, a quiet knock sounded from across the room at his window.

Schlatt scrambled over, opening his blinds to find a puffy-eyed, blotchy-faced Wilbur leaning back on the janky old metal railing of the fire escape. He was wearing a white tee shirt, nothing nice, but definitely not enough to keep him warm in the chilly October weather.

Schlatt turned away from the window, grabbing the mustard yellow sweater Wilbur had left on his last visit, two blankets from his bed, and the box of tissues from his nightstand.

He opened the window, haphazardly dropping them just by Wilbur's feet before climbing out the window himself. 

"Come on." Schlatt murmured, shoving the sweater and tissues into Wilbur's arms and folding the two blankets over his arm as he climbed the ladder-like stairs up the fire escape and to the roof of his apartment building, Wilbur following behind him after having pulled the soft mustard sweater over his head.

This wasn't irregular; in fact, Schlatt was quite used to it seeing as it happened so often, the knocking at his window just always surprised him.

When they finally reached the roof, Schlatt lay out one of the blankets on the cold concrete surface and sat, waiting patiently for Wilbur to join him. 

Wilbur popped up not a minute later, throwing himself over the fire escape railing and onto the cold, hard roof of the building. He crawled towards Schlatt, pushing the tissue box in front of him before flopping down onto the blanket and laying his head in Schlatt's lap as they stared silently at the night sky.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Schlatt asked. He always did; they had learned the hard way just how worried Phil got when one of his sons up and disappeared without a word.

"Tommy was getting water in the kitchen when I left my room, he'll piece it together." Wilbur replied, sniffling quietly.

Schlatt nodded, satisfied with the answer.

"Then what's got you so choked up, hm?" Schlatt asked, combing his fingers gently through Wilbur's hair. 

"I'm all alone, Schlatt." Wilbur's voice sounded light and it wavered like the last leaf on a windy autumn day.

"That's not true," Schlatt started, his eyes scanned the cityscape, looking across the way, and even past that, at all the rooftops that _didn't_ have crying people- _god_ , his apartment building was lucky that it had them, or else it would most likely be a deadbeat, lonely rooftop just like all the others he could see. He looked down to Wilbur as his fingers caught a knot in the other boy's hair and he continued to gently comb it out. "That's not true at all. You've got me. Techno, Tommy, and Phil are here for you too. We love you, Wil; we wouldn't leave you alone if someone paid us to."

Wilbur didn’t say anything in response, only offering a soft sniffle. 

“Why’d you really come out here?” Schlatt asked, looking down to Wilbur’s face. 

“I didn’t want to be alone.” The younger whispered in response, moving to sit up. He leaned back against Schlatt, who wrapped an arm around his friend in response.

“Then I’m right here.” Schlatt murmured.

Wilbur nodded and a comfortable silence fell over the two of them, occasionally broken by a melodic hum from Wilbur or the gentle breeze’s rather quiet whispers growing a bit louder.

It was peaceful, the busy Brighton streets having gone to bed hours earlier when it was still considered night. 

They stayed like that until early morning, watching as the murky midnight of the sky became a lighter purple and finally a dawn-ish light blue.

”Hey Schlatt?” Wilbur asked as they watched the sun rise over the horizon line.

”What’s up, Wil?” Schlatt responded, looking to his friend.

”Do you ever plan on going back to America?” Wilbur asked.

That was a good question; _did_ Schlatt ever plan on going back? He knew he’d like to go see his hometown again someday, but he’d grown used to living in Brighton; he was attached in a way. Attached to the cityscape and the shitty apartment building he lived in with his mom and step-dad, attached to Wilbur and the other two Watson boys. He couldn’t care less about school, but he still enjoyed the thought of it. Schlatt realized he’d gone quiet for a minute and noticed how Wilbur’s eyes had grown almost fearful. 

“I don't know.” He replied with a nonchalant shrug. He didn’t want to tell Wilbur that he wanted to attend his home state’s university, he knew it would break his heart. “Someday, but I think I’d have to take you with me if I was gonna be gone for too long.” 

“You’d take me with you?” Wilbur’s voice was smaller than before. 

“Of course I would,” Schlatt nodded, “you’re my best friend, I’d get so alone out there without you.” 

There was another sniffle from Wilbur before he was viciously tackled to the ground as Wilbur clung onto him, arms wrapping around him in a tight hug. Schlatt smiled gently as his friend nuzzled his face into his shoulder, almost in a way that a lover would, but also distinctly not. He wrapped his arms around Wilbur's middle, reciprocating the hug with a soft smile. Wilbur was practically _laying_ on Schlatt, but neither of the boys really cared.

They cherished the silence, Wilbur's face remained buried in Schlatt's shoulder and Schlatt's vision somewhat obstructed by Wilbur's long, curly bangs. 

They cherished the silence because they knew that, somewhere down the winding path of life, there wouldn't be silence _to_ cherish; much less likely silence to cherish together.


End file.
